Magnify your macro underwater photography

Ever since discovering the wonderful world of macro underwater photography, I have been looking for ways to get higher magnification. Using the Dyron Double Macro M77 lens is certainly one way to do it. I typically use my 60mm macro lens along with a 1.4x Kenko teleconverter, which is attached directly to the camera body. Therefore, once I put my camera in the housing, it's there to stay for the duration of the dive.

The versatility of being able to remove the Dyron Double Macro M77 lens underwater came in handy. I was able to shoot fish portraits without the wet lens on the port, and when I saw, for example, a potentially great nudibranch photograph, I simply attached the port adapter and lens, and voilà, I was ready to get some great magnification for the shot.

Double Macro M77 features dual coated lenses to limit distortion, and Dyron now also offers an adaptor that allows any M77 threaded lens to be attached externally to Subal, Ikelite, Hugyfot, or Seacam macro ports. This gives the underwater photographer the option of adding an external diopter, in this case the Double Macro M77, to increase magnification to these ports.

It easily attached to the front of my macro port, and when I chose to take it off underwater, it was secured to the port with its own leash. One should take care, however, to make sure the lens does not contact the reef while it is off the front of the port. It may get scratched, and/or it may damage the environment.

Due to the magnification of the lens, it did not allow me to focus my 60mm lens to infinity, but rather forced me to get closer to the subject, which is exactly what I should be doing in the first place!

Underwater Photographs with the Dyron Double Marco lens

All of my underwater photographs were shot using my Nikon D90 and 60mm macro lens in my Ikelite housing. My Ikelite strobes were set to TTL, and I used either one or both strobes, depending the subject and effect I wanted to create.

Flabellina iodinea nudibranch. 1/200, F14, ISO 200

Picture taken without the M77 Same focal distance with the M77

Picture taken without the M77Same focal distance with the M77

1/200, F14, ISO 200

1/200, F20, ISO 200

1/200, F16, ISO 200

Specifications

Depth rated: 100 meters (328 feet)

Material: Optical glass - Aluminum

Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 years

Magnification: +7 Diopter

About the Author

Michael Zeigler is editor-at-large for the Underwater Photography Guide, trip leader and instructor for Bluewater Photo, and is an AAUS Scientific Diver. Michael's underwater photography and blog can be seen at SeaInFocus.com.

Join Michael as he leads an amazing underwater photography workshop at the famous Wakatobi Dive Resort 11/21/13 - 12/2/13!

Hi Mike,
Does the Double Macro M77 actually magnify or does it just allow you to get closer like typical diopters?
I need something to magnify. I don't need to get closer, I am on top of the critter now.
Thanks,
Ken H